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 Humidity and your piano |
| Humidity or
relative humidity is expressed as a percentage, calculated by measuring the moisture in
the air then dividing by the amount of moisture the air could hold if it was completely
saturated. A 100% relative humidity condition is common. You've seen it as fog or clouds,
or in your steamy bathroom after a long hot shower. You can monitor all this with a gauge
that measures relative humidity (and often temperature too). Avoid the inexpensive ones
that are sold for less than $10. Reasonably accurate gauges between $30 to $250 are
available from your piano technician, or your local hardware store. If you don't have a gauge, you can still keep track of humidity changes by observing your home heating system. Heated air can hold more moisture than unheated air, so when the air in your house is heated, its relative humidity is lower. This means in the fall, your heating system has been off all summer and now it is on a lot. It is likely the relative humidity has gone down in your house. In springtime, your furnace has been on all winter, and now it is off most of the time. The relative humidity has probably increased inside your home at the piano. (Close window to return to article) |